...The only way  the only way  to stop a monster from killing our kids is to be personally involved and invested in a plan of absolute protection, Mr. LaPierre said. The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.

Gun-free school zones identified by signs, he said, serve only to tell every insane killer in America that schools are the safest place to effect maximum mayhem with minimum risk.

"So why is the idea of a gun good when its used to protect the president of our country or our police but bad when its used to protect our children in our schools? he continued. Theyre our kids. Theyre our responsibility. And its not just our duty to protect them; its our right to protect them.

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During the conference, LaPierre argued that video games and violent mass media were to blame:

Quote

...And here's another dirty little truth that the media try their best to conceal: There exists in this country a callous, corrupt and corrupting shadow industry that sells, and sows, violence against its own people.

Through vicious, violent video games with names like Bulletstorm, Grand Theft Auto, Mortal Kombat and Splatterhouse. And here's one: it's called Kindergarten Killers. It's been online for 10 years. How come my research department could find it and all of yours either couldn't or didn't want anyone to know you had found it?

Then there's the blood-soaked slasher films like "American Psycho" and "Natural Born Killers" that are aired like propaganda loops on "Splatterdays" and every day, and a thousand music videos that portray life as a joke and murder as a way of life. And then they have the nerve to call it "entertainment."...

I agree. I was pretty cynical about this press conference, but to see my cynicism confirmed so completely just left me astounded.

As rdowns noted, the NRA's solution is to hire a small army of federally-funded armed guards to protect the right to bear arms in the event of a tyrannical government, which would of course, include those newly hired armed guards.

macrumors Penryn

I'm curious how they think we're going to pull that off during a time where local budgets are already stretched too thin and emergency services have seen their share of cuts.

Perhaps if we pulled our troops out of foreign countries we could use them in a capacity of a national guard force in some kind of capacity like that.

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We have close to 100,000 schools in the US. Average cop makes $55,000. So you have $5.5 billion plus benefits and other overhead. Figure you need 2 cops per school as most school buildings are open 10 or more hours a day. So you have $11 billion plus about 40% overhead, so it costs us north of $15 billion a year and we've done nothing to address the issue of easy access to guns not to mention the Republicans would probably demand an equal amount of cuts in teachers to pay for it.

I'd also point out that the NRA backed the candidate who told us we don't need more cops.

macrumors 6502

I agree. I was pretty cynical about this press conference, but to see my cynicism confirmed so completely just left me astounded.

As rdowns noted, the NRA's solution is to hire a small army of federally-funded armed guards to protect the right to bear arms in the event of a tyrannical government, which would of course, include those newly hired armed guards.

LaPierre's statement pegged my irony meter.

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I had constructed a fanasyland in my mind thinking that maybe just this one time they would rise above their greed and intransigence and say something that needed to be said.

macrumors 68040

Even a gun advocate would have to admit that the NRA is a train wreck. They completely lost the plot with their statement.

Blaming video games? Really? Bunch of brain dead morons. All the games they listed are available globally. Funny how he failed to mention that small part.

Also, on what planet is it a good idea to have teachers carrying guns around? All it'll take is for 1 teacher to drop it, misplace it, etc and we'll have another bunch of kids being killed - guns have no place being anywhere in public, especially in schools.

thread startermacrumors 68000

I had constructed a fanasyland in my mind thinking that maybe just this one time they would rise above their greed and intransigence and say something that needed to be said.

Silly, naive me.

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That's such a bummer really. It confirms something another commentator noted yesterday, the NRA has shifted from the protection average gun owners to a lobbying agency for the gun industry.

Essentially, the NRA pushes the need for guns and against new gun laws, but creates a firewall between the industry and the public that would otherwise make the gun industry appear craven and irresponsible.

macrumors 6502a

Even a gun advocate would have to admit that the NRA is a train wreck. They completely lost the plot with their statement.

Blaming video games? Really? Bunch of brain dead morons. All the games they listed are available globally. Funny how he failed to mention that small part.

Also, on what planet is it a good idea to have teachers carrying guns around? All it'll take is for 1 teacher to drop it, misplace it, etc and we'll have another bunch of kids being killed - guns have no place being anywhere in public, especially in schools.

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video games, mental illness, gun free school zones, are all to blame...

as far as video games go, I find it truly ironic that parents go out of their way to protect kids from pornography, yet allow them access to highly graphic video games..

macrumors 6502

Since guns are not going away what are the options? I would feel much safer at school with an armed guard then a sticker on the door saying gun free zone.

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In all honesty, I agree that we are creating a culture that is totally insensitive and almost addicted to violence. Additionally, when I had a Texas CHL I thought it was absurd that I was prevented from carrying in various "gun free" zones, as I had certainly been extensively vetted beforehand.

However, my biggest issue with this morning's press conference wasn't even so much what they said as what they didn't say.

We clearly have a major problem with regard to firearms acces by those who absolutely should never be allowed access. Whether it be the gun show loophole, inadequate storage habits or sloppy/ignored background checking, we definitely need to try to limit the wrong people from acquiring firearms.

macrumors Penryn

In all honesty, I agree that we are creating a culture that is totally insensitive and almost addicted to violence. Additionally, when I had a Texas CHL I thought it was absurd that I was prevented from carrying in various "gun free" zones, as I had certainly been extensively vetted beforehand.

However, my biggest issue with this morning's press conference wasn't even so much what they said as what they didn't say.

We clearly have a major problem with regard to firearms acces by those who absolutely should never be allowed access. Whether it be the gun show loophole, inadequate storage habits or sloppy/ignored background checking, we definitely need to try to limit the wrong people from acquiring firearms.

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